As I continue this journey of blogging about and for dads through daily devotionals I have been able to find, connect with the publishers, and get approval to share my thoughts and insights from reading them, I have found this dad devotional called The Daring Dad. The image that goes along with it is so telling as it shows the title as The DARE-ING Dad. I am excited to see what dares come out of this devotional that can help us be the dads God needs us to be. The introduction to the blog that captured my attention and drew me to reach out to the publisher was:
Being a dad is difficult. You have so much responsibility. So much to do. Many of us put being a dad on the back burner – until we find ourselves in a place we don’t want to be. I dare you to be a great dad.
The Daring Dad from Plans on Bible.com
Today’s devotional is connected to the verses from God’s Word found in:
- 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
- Romans 12:1-21
- John 1:4
- 1 John 1:8
“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NIV
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:1-21 NIV
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 NIV
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
1 John 1:8 NIV
Today’s Word from God speaks to the importance of being the dad who leads with love and lives by the Spirit. So let’s be the dads who are pointing others to God and His power rather than trying to get people oohing and awing about us like Paul did. Let’s be humble.
Let’s choose to live our lives as living sacrifices so that we can be the dads whose lives are holy and pleasing to God. Let’s be the dads who have been transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we don’t and won’t conform to the patterns of this world. Let’s be the dads who thanks to the renewing of our minds are able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Let’s be the dads who thanks to the renewing of our minds are able to know God’s good, pleasing and perfect will. Let’s be the dads who are humble, not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought, but rather thinking of ourselves with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of us. Let’s be the dads who play our role. Let’s be the dads who use the gifts God has given us: If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Let’s be the dads who love sincerely. Let’s be the dads who Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Let’s be the dads who love and honor one another. Let’s be the dads who keep our spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Let’s be the dads who are joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Let’s be the dads who share with the Lord’s people who are in need, practice hospitality, bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse, rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn, and live in harmony with one another. Let’s be the dads who are humble and willing to associate with people of lower positions. Let’s be the dads who are modest. Let’s be the dads who don’t repay evil with evil for vengeance belongs to God. Let’s be the dads who are careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. Let’s be the dads who remember how all things are possible and hence if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
So no matter what you are going through, no matter what comes your way, let’s choose to invite Jesus into your situation and receive God grace and truth. Let’s remember how we have all missed the mark and are in need of a savior and so let’s invite Jesus into our very situation.
Today’s devotional has been provided by Stonecreek Church. (more details can be found http://www.stonecreek.church)
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
Let’s be the dads who aren’t crushed by the pressure but instead are strengthened by it.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV
- What pressures are you under?
- Do you feel pressure to be perfect?
- Do you feel pressure to be stoic?
- Do you feel pressure to be the foundation of your family?
- Do you feel pressure to be unshakable?
- Do you feel a need to hide your emotions or be unemotional?
- Today’s devotional closes with a DARE, are you ready to be the dad and take up this dare?
- “I DARE YOU to tell your kids your most embarrassing moment as a kid or tell them something you struggle with today. Authenticity.”
